Colleen Patella

Colleen Patella, 70, of Clarks Green died on September 11, 2024 after a long and courageous battle with autoimmune disease. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Doug Patella.

She was the daughter of the late Kenneth and Genevieve (Glover) Kamery and was a graduate of Hamburg High School in Hamburg, New York, and of Houghton College.

Colleen had a long and varied career. She started a pre-school, ran it, and enjoyed getting to know many local families as she taught their children. She worked with migrant families, was employed in the personnel department at JCPenney Telemarketing, and finished her career at Gertrude Hawk Chocolates. She considered her greatest career accomplishment, however, to being a home-schooling mom and had a long association with Harmony Home Educators.

Colleen was a loving, caring, and wonderful wife and mother. She was a good and faithful friend to those who knew her and will be remembered for her generosity of spirit, her laugh, and her love of life. She loved to travel and had a great sense of adventure. She was an accomplished violinist and was most in her element when playing her violin on the worship team at her church. She was a committed follower of Jesus Christ and looked forward to the day when she would see Him face to face, be reunited with her loved ones, and healed of her earthly afflictions.

In addition to her husband, Colleen is survived by her daughter, Helen Patella; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Kathy (Patella) and Tony Iacovangelo. Their profound sense of loss is softened only in knowing where she has gone and that they will one day see her again.

A celebration of life service will be held on Monday, October 14th at 11:00 am at the Servant Church of the Abingtons, Clarks Green. Interment will be in the Clarks Green Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home, 418 South State Street, Clarks Summit.